School on lockdown after bullet scare

Homer Glen Jr. High School was placed on lockdown today shortly after noon when several students reported that they found a bullet in a washroom, Homer Glen Principal Troy Mitchell said.

Will County sheriff's police were notified immediately and the school at 15733 Bell Rd. in Homer Glen, was searched while students were restricted to their classrooms, Mitchell said. The lockdown was canceled at about 1:15 p.m. when authorities determined that there was no additional threat to students or faculty members. Canine patrols were also used to aid police in the search, Mitchell added.

"We were prepared through prior training on how to handle a situation like this if it should arise," Mitchell said. "Fortunately, this was a rare incident for our school and we have not had to utilize that training in the past. Our main focus is always for the safety of the students."

The school had a hot lunch program scheduled for the day and its was able to provide the hot meals while the search was conducted. Students were also required to take supervised-only washroom breaks, Mitchell said.